Overview
The New York Public Library (NYPL) seeks a proven leader to oversee access and discovery for its research collections and services to better serve existing and new patrons. The Director for Collections Access and Discovery will provide vision, leadership, and coordination for access, discovery systems, and services that deepen engagement with NYPL’s research collections, ensuring our diverse collections are accessible to the broadest number of patrons – online or in-person – and that they extend beyond existing patrons to new audiences.  

The position, reporting to the Astor Director for Collections and Research Services, will shape library-wide strategic planning to support expanded and transformative access to the full array of NYPL’s research collections utilizing new and emerging remote services. The director will lead and inspire teams responsible for e-resources discovery, Aeon, Digital Collections, in-house digitization, public order reproduction services, and rights clearance. While located in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Director for Collections Access and Discovery works across the organization to implement research services that support a deepening engagement with the Library’s collections and staff expertise, building a consistent, equitable, and inclusive user experience for both general and special collections.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

Own:

• Facilitating engagement with the research collections through an integrated and consistent user experience for physical and digital collections and establishing best practices and policies in the use of core collection management and access systems.

Learn:

• The scope of NYPL’s research collections, the range of its researchers, and the challenges and opportunities for researchers in accessing the collections.
• Gain insights from usage data, collection assessment, and user focus groups to shape our goals and projects.

Teach:

• Inform stakeholders across NYPL about ongoing developments and strategic plans, and develop new staff engagement and communication strategies.
• Foster awareness of new developments in research libraries, open-access publishing, research trends, and digital collections.

Improve:

• Clarify policies and optimize processes to help the staff work better together and strengthen the patron experience.
• Strengthen communication channels and staff engagement related to the ongoing work of the Access and Discovery teams.
   

Some expectations for this role are that within:

1 month, this person will:

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of their teams, the scope of projects underway, shared goals, and the dependencies with other departments; meet key partners in Collections and Research Services, the Research Centers, Digital, and IT. 

3 months, this person will:

• Be a member of key committees and contribute to strategic planning efforts.
• Gain a better understanding of their departments and staff roles, responsibilities, and objectives, and begin prioritizing and scoping projects and new performance goals.
• Understand gaps in policies and procedures and develop a preliminary plan for aligning research staff around a shared vision.

6 months and beyond, this person will:

• Have a clear sense of the long-term roadmap for the ongoing digital transformation of the research collections, a broader understanding of their role in contributing to this work, near-term goals, and outstanding resource needs.

Responsibilities

• Leads strategic initiatives to expand and transform access to the full array of NYPL’s research collections utilizing new and emerging remote services and open-access materials.
• Advances the Virtual Reading Room, partnering with Digital and others to provide remote patrons secure access to in-copyright or otherwise-restricted research collection items and the redevelopment and optimization of the Library's Digital Collections.
• Manages, recruits, mentors, and retains a diverse and highly skilled professional staff; manages budgets and grants and contributes to fundraising initiatives and events.
• Develops and provides oversight for access policies and services that optimize the research patron experience and foster greater engagement with the research collections, including discovery and access to special collections.
• Partners closely with the Digital team and research staff in prioritizing and communicating the strategic vision for the development and optimization of the Research Catalog.
• Oversees accessibility services for the research collections, partnering with other teams  – Branches, Digital, Legal, and HR – to align policies, services, and products to address access to the collections for research patrons with disabilities.
• Engages with resource-sharing partners, including the Manhattan Research Library Initiative (MaRLI), the ReCAP Shared Collections, and the CUNY-wide community, to sustain and broaden services and resource-sharing initiatives. 
• Fosters and supports a culture of inclusion that values and respects the diversity of perspective, background, and experience.
• Represents the Library in local and national-level consortia and conferences.

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

ALA-accredited MLS and substantial research library experience or advanced degree and relevant, substantial research library experience
 

Required Experience

• Experience in an academic or research library setting, 7-10 years with increasingly responsible managerial responsibilities in access, research, and discovery services (minimum 3 years management experience).
• Successfully demonstrated experience promoting and managing access to collections and services to support research and scholarly communication.
• Successfully demonstrated experience in strategic planning, people management, project or resource management, problem-solving, and decision-making in a collaborative and coordinated work environment; a proven team player.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing processes, developing policies, and implementing change to promote alignment and greater efficiency of operations.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating the effectiveness of products and systems that support access to collections.

Required Skills

• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus and promote productive teamwork
• Knowledge of current issues and emerging trends in research library collections and services 
• Successfully demonstrated commitment to excellence in public service

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

Oversees Digital Collections, Aeon, e-resources discovery, in-house Digital Imaging Services, public orders and reproductions, and Rights Clearance (21 FTE with four direct reports)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with the practices, standards, and systems for discovery and access to special collection materials

More...

Core Values
All team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:

• Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues
• Be Resourceful in solving problems 
• Be Curious in all aspects of your work
• Be Welcoming and Inclusive

Work Environment

• Office, some hybrid

Physical Duties

• None

Union/Non Union
Non-Union

FLSA Status
Exempt

Schedule

Monday-Friday, 35 hours

This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. 

Apply online here